


Familiar Faces

by SleepingAshes



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-24 02:26:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14345991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleepingAshes/pseuds/SleepingAshes
Summary: Two years after the Promised Day, Ling, now Emperor of Xing, receives a mysterious visitor. While things look well on the surface, he quickly learns that things are not what they seem.





	Familiar Faces

After the Promised Day, things fell into place. Alphonse had his body back, May and Ling returned to Xing, Roy began working on rebuilding the military to be better. Things were almost perfect. Almost. The one piece of the puzzle that didn’t fall into place was Edward Elric. Ed had fallen into a coma after the defeat of Father. No one really knew what caused it so no one knew how to wake him up.

It had been two years and last Ling heard, there had been no progress in waking Ed up. He didn’t received updates from Alphonse regularly but Al tried to keep him in the loop as much as he could. Ling appreciated it even if he couldn’t be there for Ed. Ling had become Emperor of Xing and so most of his energy went to running his country. While he wished the best for Edward there simply wasn’t much he could do on the matter.

Ling’s days were filled mostly with meetings about how to better the country, how to handle this problem and prevent that one. It was tiring but Ling knew that this was better than no progress at all. This day was just like the others. Boring meetings taking up all the daylight. The sun was about to set, Ling had just finished his last meeting of the day.

Then it happened. The one thing that changed everything for him.

“My lord, there is someone who requests to see you.” Lan Fan said in greeting.

Ling sighed.

“It can’t wait until tomorrow…?”

“...I don’t think so. You should see this for yourself.”

Ling narrowed his eyes and nodded, telling her to lead the way. She led him to the throne room where some of his guards stood with his visitor, hands tied behind his back and a wicked smirk on his face. Ling would recognize him anywhere.

“Ed?” He asked, shocked.

“Oh don’t tell me you don’t recognize me, Prince.” A voice not quite like Ed’s came out. It wasn’t right but in an instant Ling understood.

“Greed.”

“Damn kid, you’re smart. Though I guess I can’t call you a kid huh? You’re all grown up now.”

“You’re perceptive.” Ling said. “Untie him. He means no harm.”

His guards complied. Ed-- Greed-- rubbed at his wrists, his smirk never faltering once. Ling had so many questions to ask and didn’t know where to start. How was he alive? How was he in control of Ed? Why was he here? Why did Ed let him take control or was Ed fighting for control?

“I bet you have a hell of a lot of questions.” Greed said, hands on his hips.

Ling motioned for Greed to follow him. Oh he had questions, but this was something he’d prefer to talk about in private. Greed followed him to Ling’s private quarters. Lan Fan was instructed to stand guard outside, make sure no one overheard this conversation. Once the two were alone Ling sat on his bed and stared at Greed.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” Greed said.

“How are you alive?” Ling began.

Greed dropped his smirk for the first time since he’d saw Ling. He looked more serious now.

“I have no idea. Maybe something that Fullmetal kid did brought me back, but I really couldn’t tell ya.”

“You’re the same Greed who had control over my body, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, don’t know how I kept my memories this time either so don’t bother asking. But it’s me, in the flesh.”

“Did you take Ed’s body against his will?” Ling asked, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

Greed scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

“You think if I had a choice I’d pick this body? No offense he kinda cramps my whole style. The blonde hair is a nice change of pace but he’s not my type at all. Not for what I’d like to look like anyway.” Greed rolled his eyes. “I woke up in this body.”

“And Ed is just fine with that.”

Ling was met with silence. For a moment Greed seemed to be contemplating what to say and how to say it. In the end he just shrugged.

“I don’t really know how he feels about it. Ed’s not there.”

“What?”

“I haven’t heard a word from the kid since I woke up.”

Ling thought about that for a second. What did that mean for Ed then? Was his mind still asleep? Was he just buried in the sea of souls that was the homunculus? Was Ed...dead?

“It’s kinda relaxing not having some brat yell at me for every decision I make.”

“This doesn’t make any sense.”

“Hey I don’t know how this works I just roll with what I’m given. And apparently I was given this empty husk of a body.”

Given. Did someone put Greed in Ed’s body? It wouldn’t do much good to ask Greed directly. He didn’t know how he ended up inside Ed. He didn’t know a lot, which was disappointing Ling. The mystery of the situation couldn’t be solved as easily if Greed didn’t know anything.

“Why did you come to Xing?”

“Figured you’d be here.”

“You crossed a desert just for me?”

“...Maybe you made me soft but I figured it was better than sticking around Amestris. Too many people knew Fullmetal. Someone would have seen me and they would’ve been disappointed when I told them he isn’t here.” Greed explained, scratching at the back of his head. “I figured you’d understand. And since we used to be roommates you’d let me stay with you, right?”

Ling felt backed up into a corner here and he realized that’s probably what Greed was banking on. If he turned Greed away there was the chance of Greed going back to Amestris and well, he was right. He’d get found out and that would cause more problems.  _ Wait-- _

“You mean to tell me Alphonse and the others don’t know?”

“Nope.”

“...You’re ridiculous.” Ling muttered. “But I think it was the right decision. At least until we know more about what happened.”

“Good luck finding that out. I can stay though, right?”

Ling rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Yes, you can stay. I’ll have someone prepare a room for you and explain to them that you’re a friend from Amestris. The only thing I ask is that you stay in the palace.”

“Damn, I’m already on house arrest huh?”

“I don’t need rumors getting out about a blonde haired Amestrian being here. If we’re going to keep your identity a secret you have to do your part.” Ling explained. “While we’re figuring this out I need you on your best behavior.”

Greed laughed.

“Consider it done. Damn this’ll be nice… It almost sucks we aren’t together anymore. I’m not Envy or anything but ruling people was always my thing.”

The words were strange coming out of Ed’s mouth. This whole situation was strange… Ling could see the tells though. There was no way he could pass Greed off as Ed if he tried. Greed still spoke like he was the most important person in existence, his posture was all pride and dominance, his eyes were that special shade of purple seemingly reserved for homunculi.

A thought ran through Ling’s head. Were there other homunculi? Or just him? Was Greed being here the beginning of a new threat?

His silence caught the homunculi’s attention. Greed frowned and flopped on the bed next to Ling.

“Damn prince, this bed is nice as shit.”

“How eloquently said.”

“Does me being here bother you that much?” Greed asked suddenly, eyes fixed on a spot on the ceiling.

Ling hesitated to answer. It wasn’t Greed himself, but the implications that came with Greed’s continued existence.

“Does it matter what I think?” Ling asked in return, laying down fully.

“Not really. You already gave me permission to stay here so I’m taking full advantage of that.” 

A small silence filled the room. Ling’s mind was reeling with theories and worries. Greed didn’t seemed bothered at all. Of course he wasn’t. Why would he be? This was the perfect situation for him. At least Greed seemed aware that this situation wasn’t ideal for anyone but him.

“I’ll tell someone to get you a room ready now.” Ling broke the silence and stood, walking to the door to ask Lan Fan to have one of the palace staff members ready a guest room.

Greed sat up and gave Ling a curious look.

“Hey, prince.”

“Hmm?”

“Does this bother you?”

“What do you mean, Greed?” Ling sounded tired. “Does you showing up in Ed’s body with little to no information on how this arrangement happened bother me? Yes, it does. Does you personally being alive and well bother me? No.”

“You think too much.” Greed muttered, avoiding looking Ling in the eye.s

Lan Fan returned at that moment saying Greed’s room was ready. She instructed Greed to follow her, which he did, giving Ling a small wave goodbye. Once Greed was gone, Ling fell back onto his bed. He needed this day to be over. Nothing made sense anymore. He wanted to keep trying to figure things out but it was too late, he was too burnt out from the day. He’d think about this tomorrow. Maybe he could view it with a fresh mind.

The only comfort in this whole situation was that Greed hadn’t done this himself. It truly was a freak accident things ended up this way. Ling trusted that much, for now.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone, I hope this was an ok start to the story. I have some plans for the future of this series and I hope people can enjoy it. There will be future relationships and probably some smut if you're into that.


End file.
